Family advocates for Yulia’s Law following denial of kidney transplant to unvaccinated teen

Natasha SweatteApril 17, 2024

The summary talks about a North Carolina teenager adopted‍ from Ukraine being ⁢denied a kidney transplant at Duke University Hospital due to her‌ vaccination status. The adoptive ⁤parents were hesitant about vaccinating her. The story highlights the ⁣family’s struggle and the transplant⁣ coordinator’s requirement for up-to-date vaccine status for the procedure to proceed. The summary discusses a North Carolina teen, adopted from Ukraine, facing a kidney transplant denial at‍ Duke University Hospital due to her vaccination status. The adoptive parents hesitated about vaccinating her, showcasing the family’s challenges. The transplant coordinator mandated up-to-date vaccination⁢ for the procedure‍ to move forward.

As the COVID-19 vaccination divided people who had different schools of thought, a North Carolina teenager adopted from Ukraine was reportedly denied a kidney transplant from Duke University Hospital.

Her newly adopted parents were not keen on forcing her to take the vaccine. Chrissy and Lee Hicks heard of others getting organ transplants at Duke who were unvaccinated, so they were hopeful it wouldn’t be a problem for their daughter.

Yulia Hicks was reportedly denied a kidney transplant as a result of her vaccination status.

According to a recorded phone call between the Hicks family and Duke obtained by the Washington Examiner, the woman who identified herself as Katherine, the transplant coordinator, said, “In order to proceed, you would have to follow our recommendations for up-to-date vaccine status because otherwise, it wouldn’t be medically safe for her to be transplanted because she would be more susceptible to diseases.”

Since the COVID-19 vaccine was being referred to as only a “recommendation,” Lee asked for clarification in the phone call.

“OK, so to clarify, this is a recommendation versus a requirement?” Lee Hicks said.

“Well, I can’t require you to do anything. I can recommend these things. But if you don’t follow our recommendations, then Yulia can’t be a transplant candidate here,” the Duke representative said.

The Washington Examiner spoke with Chrissy Hicks in detail about what happened.

“You know, we say we fight for Ukraine, all this stuff about Ukraine,” she said. “But there was a Ukrainian in Duke’s backyard, and they wouldn’t save her.”

Chrissy and Lee Hicks adopted Yulia from Ukraine, who needed a kidney transplant.

Yulia Hicks’s story went viral, and the Hicks were able to find treatment at ECU Health. They had upward of 40 people reach out and offer to be a donor.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Hicks are working with the American Constitutional Rights Union to get Yulia’s Law passed by the state legislator. The law would prevent discrimination of vaccination status for an organ transplant. So far, Yulia’s Law passed in the North Carolina House but has been stalled in the state Senate. The ACRU is working to bring the bill to the floor in May.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Duke University Hospital for comment but did not receive a response.

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